


i think i wanna marry you

by thegirlinthedress



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek POV, M/M, Romantic Comedy, The Proposal AU, no werewolves au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 06:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7703482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlinthedress/pseuds/thegirlinthedress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Derek knows about his reputation among his employees; that they think he's a workaholic and that he hates people. The first one might be true, but it's hardly a character flaw that he likes his job. Editor in chief is a huge responsibility, and not one that Derek takes lightly. He gets the results he wants, even if they come at the expense of his staff liking him. Derek's philosophy is that they don't have to like him, they just have to respect him and get their jobs done."</p><p>The Proposal AU I've always wanted an excuse to write</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sterek Summer Spectacle 2016, for Team Summer is Hot, But Sterek is Hotter
> 
> This was a fun experiment for a fandom I haven't written for before. Loosely follows the plot of the movie, but I did leave some scenes out. Basically a fake relationship AU.
> 
> Title from Bruno Mars - Marry You
> 
> Not beta read, so all mistakes are my own

Derek knows about his reputation among his employees; that they think he's a workaholic and that he hates people. The first one might be true, but it's hardly a character flaw that he likes his job. Editor in chief is a huge responsibility, and not one that Derek takes lightly. He gets the results he wants, even if they come at the expense of his staff liking him. Derek's philosophy is that they don't have to like him, they just have to respect him and get their jobs done.  
And of course, there's the fact that he can't put a toe out of line, lest the whispers of nepotism get any louder. Derek worked hard to get where he is, so the accusation that his uncle's ties to the company got Derek his job is more than a little insulting. At least Derek can take comfort in knowing the accusations are completely unfounded, as anyone who has spent more than a few minutes with Peter Hale would know that the idea of him doing something kind for another human being, even a family member, is laughable.  
For the last several weeks, Derek has been dodging calls from immigration. His Visa is still valid, having been renewed only the year before, so he assumes it can't be anything urgent. Derek can't really make room in his schedule for anything less than urgent, so when his assistant hands him a to-go cup of coffee with 'Derek' scrawled on it in loopy handwriting and informs him that they've left him a message _again_ , Derek rolls his eyes.  
"Tell them I'm unavailable" Derek says, setting the coffee down on his desk. Despite the floor to ceiling windows in his office meant to let light in, the room is gloomy thanks to the overcast weather outside. He can't help but wonder if the weather is mirroring his dark mood.  
"They'll just keep calling" Stiles points out, gesturing pointedly to the phone, "They're not going to just drop it, you should return one of their calls."  
"Stiles" Derek replies, "As my assistant, you seem to have much spare time to spend playing solitaire on your computer. However, that is not a luxury my job affords me, given how much more important my position is than yours. Therefore, I do not have time to go chasing down whatever inane query immigration has for me, so please stop trying to offer advice on how I do my job and go do whatever it is you're meant to be doing right now."  
If Stiles is bothered by Derek's borderline rudeness, he doesn't let it show. Instead he remains in the office doorway, mock salutes Derek, and then says, "You've got a meeting with Peter Hale in ten minutes. Not to tell you how to do your job, but I think you'd better attend this one. I don't think he'll be as easily avoided as a phone call." Then he walks out of the office, back to his desk just outside.  
Were anyone else in the office to act as laid-back as Stiles does, they would be out of a job very quickly. However, Derek has come to know that, behind all of the informality and man child tendencies, Stiles is a hyper competent employee who knows how to run Derek's schedule exactly how Derek wants it to be done. It would be far too much trouble to find and train a new assistant, so Derek lets Stiles' behavior slide for the most part, as long as it doesn't affect his job performance.  
Derek sighs, takes a long sip of his coffee, and then sets off for Peter's office. If there were any way he could avoid meeting with Peter, he would take it, but unfortunately it's a necessary evil within his job. 

-

When Derek arrives at Peter's office, he finds three of the other higher ups already seated inside, along with his uncle. Derek has brought Stiles along with him to help brief the other men on the progress with a prospective client, one would be quiet high profile if they managed to convince her. This is what he assumes the meeting is about, as Peter's summons are usually incredibly vague in their subject matter.  
"Derek, please take a seat" Peter says, avoiding any kind of greeting. Derek sinks into the remaining chair around Peter's coffee table, aware of Stiles moving to stand by the window in his peripheral vision. "Unfortunately, we've run into a bit of a problem."  
"With the client?" Derek asks, confused, "I thought things were moving along well with her."  
"No" Peter says, waving a hand, "not with the client, with you. I just had a rather interesting conversation with immigration regarding your Visa. Specifically, that you violated the terms of it."  
"No I didn't" Derek says, "I filled out all the paperwork that they required, and everything went through fine last year. Has there been some kind of mistake?"  
"Not a mistake, no" Peter replies, "Apparently, during the period last year that your Visa was being renewed, you left to country despite being told not to."  
Derek is about to refute this, when he remembers that, yes, he did fly to Europe briefly. "That was for a client" he says, "I had to fly to Germany to sort out the deal, or else he would've gone somewhere else."  
Peter holds up his hands, "Were it up to me, I would let it slide, but unfortunately they do not see it that way. They've canceled your Visa, which means you have a very small amount of time to go back to Canada, and stay there until a new Visa can be issued."  
"Okay" says Derek, even though this revelation has left him reeling, "I can work over the phone, isn't that what they invented conference calls for? It won't be ideal, but we can make it work."  
Peter shakes his head, "Unfortunately, you can't work in the USA until a new Visa is issued. That means we'll have to find a replacement for you, I'm thinking about bringing Lahey back to fill the position."  
Derek grimaces, thinking back to the week before, when him firing Isaac Lahey had been quite the spectacle in the office. "Isn't there anything we can do? Is there any way I can stay in the country? There must be something."  
Peter laughs, in the rather creepy way of his, "Unless you've got a secret fiancé I am unaware of, it doesn't look like there's a way we can legally keep you in the country."

When asked about this later, Derek's only explanation will be that his brain detached momentarily from his mouth. 

"Stiles and I are getting married." The words are out of Derek's mouth before he can really think them through, and by the time his brain catches up with his mouth it's far too late to take them back. Instead, he's stuck fumbling his way through convincing Peter and the other higher ups, all the while hoping that Stiles, who still hasn't said anything, will play along. He's standing by the window, staring at Derek in shock, but luckily the other men aren't paying him any attention.  
"I'd hardly be the first person in the history of this company to fall for their subordinate" Derek says, hoping it comes off as an offhand joke to the other men in the room, and still silently willing Stiles to keep quiet. Peter's face twists into a grimace, but the other men let out a few chuckles. At least one of them is divorced, and Derek is fairly sure they've all had affairs. He doesn't particularly want to be allying himself with these people, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  
"When did this happen?" Peter asks, his face still contorted into an unreadable expression.  
"Six months ago" Derek says, letting the lies roll off his tongue. "We kept it quiet because-"  
"Because Derek's thinking about promoting me" Stiles says, having finally gotten over the shock. He comes to stand next to Derek. "He doesn't want it to look like he's playing favorites. I'm sure you can understand his predicament, Mr Hale."  
Peter all but snarls at Stiles' last remark, so Derek tries to diffuse the situation by putting his arm around Stiles and giving his uncle what he hopes is a sincere smile, "I know it's sudden, but this might be the solution we need."  
Peter looks between them both again, "You'll have to go speak to immigration about this, have your assistant call and arrange an interview."  
The meeting breaks up after that, and Derek is so preoccupied with the insane lie that he just told that he doesn't even notice that Peter hasn't looked at any of the reports Derek brought with him. 

-

After they've been dismissed from Peter's office, Derek feels remarkably like a teenager again. Peter is obviously suspicious, but at least Derek can count on him not to rat them out. He knows his uncle well enough to know that Peter would much rather sit back and see if Derek's plan goes up in flames of its own accord.  
Stiles, to his credit, waits until Derek has led them back into his office and locked the door before exploding, "You just told your uncle we're getting married! Married, Derek! Did I miss something? Did I hit my head and develop amnesia, because I sure as hell don't remember the last nice thing you said to me, let alone you professing your undying love and desire to marry me!"  
"I panicked" Derek says, "And you were the only person in that room who would go along with it. Which you did, by the way."  
"Because I'd be fired if I didn't!" Stiles protests, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to marry you."  
"We don't have to actually have a wedding or an actual relationship" Derek tells him, "All we need to do is convince the immigration guy that we're serious, get married so I can stay in the country, then have a quickie but amicable divorce once the time period is up. Then we can go on with our lives like this never happened."  
"This is insane" Stiles says, "You can't actually expect me to-"  
"Just come to the interview with me" Derek says, "Please?"  
He thinks it's the 'please' that does it, because Stiles finally quiets and nods, then leaves the room to go back to his desk, for once without a smart remark. Derek sits down at his own desk, scowling when he sees that the now-cold cup of coffee has left a ring on the wood of his desk. He dumps the cup, still mostly filled, into the trash and then picks up the phone. 

-

The man behind the desk, the immigration agent in charge of their case, doesn't say anything for the first minute or so of the interview. Derek isn't sure if this is a good sign or a bad one. The man - Greenberg, according to the business cards on his desk - reads through the paperwork on his desk whilst Stiles and Derek sit in an uncomfortable silence.  
"According to your file  
"And there are people who will testify to this if asked? Colleagues, close friends, family members, that sort of thing?" he asks.  
"Er, no" Derek says, "We were keeping it a secret, actually. Because we work together, and all." Stiles nods at this but doesn't seem to have anything to add. "Strictly speaking, it's against company policy, but we just couldn't help ourselves." He gingerly places a hand on Stiles' knee, and hopes the gesture doesn't look as awkward as it feels.  
"What about family?" Greenberg asks, displaying no visible reaction to Derek's gesture, "Surely if you're serious about this, then your families know."  
"My parents are dead" Derek says, "So there's no one to tell on my side of the family, besides my uncle." Usually he avoids mentioning his parents as it tends to lead to awkwardness with whoever he's talking to, but here it might actually work in his favor.  
Greenberg has the grace to look a little taken aback at Derek's comment, "I'm sorry to hear that. Mr Stilinski, what about your family?"  
Just as Derek is thinking that this might be their undoing, he has a vague recollection of Stiles talking about going home for the weekend. Something about visiting his Dad for a birthday. "Stiles is visiting his Dad this weekend, so we're going to surprise his family with the news then."  
"We are?" Stiles asks, and then catches onto what Derek is doing, "We are! It'll be a nice birthday surprise for my Dad."  
"I'm sure it will" Greenberg says, and then turns his attention back to Derek, "Mr Hale, I notice you didn't mention where Mr Stilinski's family live."  
"California" Stiles answers, before Derek has time to panic, "Beacon Hills. Derek isn't familiar with the area, so he keeps forgetting the name."  
Derek thinks he should be alarmed at how easily they're both managing to lie their way through this, but all he hopes is that the lies don't blow up in his face further down the line. He'll go volunteer in a soup kitchen at weekends or something once this is all over to restore his karma.  
"Mr Stilinski, Mr Hale" Greenberg says, glancing down briefly at his notes again, "I'll be frank, I'm not entirely convinced that the two of you aren't conspiring to commit Immigration Marriage Fraud. In case you're not aware, that's a very serious offense. If convicted, you would be looking at up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000. I want you to consider that carefully." He looks at Stiles for this, before turning his attention back to Derek. "Mr Hale, on the other hand, would be deported immediately and barred from entering the United States again, even if he enters into a legitimate marriage with a US Citizen in the future. After your trip, I will be carrying out interviews with the two of you, as well as your close friends and relatives. If even just one tiny detail seems off, you'll be facing charges. You should make sure you have your phones on over the weekend, I may have questions for you."  
Derek watches Stiles' facial expressions during Greenberg's warning. Apparently, his assistant had not considered the possible repercussions of committing marriage fraud. Granted, Derek hadn't either, but he's being deported whether they go through with it or not, so he decides to not let it bother him that much. He stands up and thanks Greenberg for meeting with them, and the other man makes a promise to keep in touch that sounds like a thinly veiled threat. Derek leads Stiles out of the office, a hand on the younger man's shoulder as he steers him towards the exit. 

-

"You're asking me to risk jail time for you!" Stiles protests, as soon as they're out of the building and around the corner, "There's a very small number of people I'd do jail time for, and you, Derek Hale, are not one of them. I'm pretty sure this wasn't in my contract. What do I even get out of this? If anything, my life would be easier if your brooding ass did get deported back to Canada."  
"Do you really think that Isaac won't fire you the second I'm gone and he's in charge?" Derek asks, "If you do this for me, you'll get to keep your career. You won't make editor without me."  
Stiles takes a moment to think this over. Derek can almost see the gears turning in his mind. "If I do this - marry you so you can stay in the country and keep your job - then you have to promote me. To editor" he stares Derek down, as if daring him to say no.  
"No" says Derek, on reflex, "I will not promote you just for doing me a simple favor. That's not how this is going to work."  
"Okay, suit yourself" Stiles shrugs, and then turns to leave, "Have fun in Canada, I hear the weather is great this time of year. I'll let Isaac know he can go ahead with his plans to redecorate your office, since you won't be around to use it."  
Derek lets him get a few buildings down the street before he calls after him. He finally takes note of Stiles' blatant violations of company dress code, as he's wearing dark jeans and a button up instead of the expected more formal attire. He makes a mental note to chide Stiles on this later, as it's things like this which will prevent him from being promoted, through proper channels at least. Even if, Derek can't help but notice, his ass does look great in those jeans.  
"Fine!" he shouts down the street. Stiles immediately comes to a stop, like he'd known Derek would cave. It's not surprising that he knows Derek this well; after all, the younger man has catered to his every whim for three years. "If you marry me, I'll promote you to editor. Once this is all over, obviously. Are you happy now?"  
Stiles waits for Derek to catch up to him before he answers, "That was a terrible proposal, Derek. If you want me to marry you, you'll have to ask nicely."  
Derek stares at him, "Really? You're really going to make me do this?" Stiles continues to look at him expectantly, so Derek sighs, and decides he's going to have to take a blow to his pride just this once. "Stiles, will you-"  
"You should be down on one knee" Stiles interrupts, looking like he's enjoying this far too much. "If this is going to be believable, you have to do it properly."  
The sidewalk isn't exactly spotless, as it's littered with bits of dirt and dust, so Derek realizes that he's going to have to sacrifice his expensive trousers as well as his pride. Still, it's a small price to pay to avoid the alternative. He lowers himself down onto his right knee, earning a few curious glances from people passing by. Fortunately, it's the lunch hour, so no one is going to waste part of their precious lunch break to stop and watch him fake propose to his assistant.  
"I don't have a ring" Derek points out, but Stiles waves a hand dismissively.  
"This is close enough" he says.  
Derek inhales deeply, takes a moment to reflect on the ridiculousness of the situation he's found himself in, and then looks up at the man in front of him. "Stiles" he says, "will you do me the honor of marrying me?"  
There's a pause, long enough for Derek to start imagining that this is all just a practical joke, like people with hidden cameras are going to jump out and laugh at him for trying to get this plan to work. Just as his heart has started to race at the prospect, Stiles shrugs and says, "Okay. We should really get back to the office though, you've got plane tickets to buy."  
He turns and walks off down the sidewalk again, back in the direction of their office building, leaving Derek to stand up straight and brush his knees down as best as he can. Mentally, Derek considers calling the whole thing off, but the more rational part of his brain reminds him that it's too late for that. Instead, he sets off in the direction Stiles disappeared off in, lunch break forgotten. He's not sure he could stomach anything right now.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the week passes in a blur, and before Derek knows it he's sitting on a plane to California to convince his fake fiance's family that their relationship isn't a sham. If Laura were still alive, Derek knows for sure that she'd find the whole thing hilarious. Hell, it's a comforting thought to picture her out there somewhere, laughing her ass off at the shenanigans her baby brother had roped himself into. No doubt Laura would've adored Stiles.  
Derek had insisted on the window seat, so Stiles flops down in the seat next to him. He can't seem to sit still, and is practically vibrating. He's clearly happy to be going home. Derek doesn't remember the last time Stiles took any time off, so he feels a brief flash of shame at hijacking Stiles' reunion with his family. He shakes it off quickly, focusing on the task ahead. It's not a long flight, so they don't have much time left to prepare.  
"I already looked on the internet and found all the questions they're gonna ask us to check if we're a real couple" Stiles says, pulling various sheets of paper out of the bag at his feet. He hands Derek one half of the pile, and keeps the other for himself. "There's the basics; favorite color, favorite food, pet names, tattoos, etc, I guess to the check we're not just two people who walked in off the street. Then there's the couple-y stuff, like where we met, how long we've been dating, if our parents know, so I guess we'll need to make sure we've got our cover story straight from the other day."  
Derek realizes that he shouldn't really be surprised by the crazy amount of prep Stiles has already done, not when the man has been his assistant for three years.  
"Like we said" Stiles continues, apparently not requiring Derek to contribute to the conversation, "for the parent thing all we have to do is convince my Dad this weekend and then we're home free."  
"Didn't you say your Dad was the town Sheriff?" Derek interrupts.  
Stiles' face cracks into a grin, "You remembered! That's good, maybe you know more about me than I thought."  
Derek takes it upon himself to dampen Stiles enthusiasm, because he can't not point out the obvious obstacle, "If you're Dad's even slightly competent as a Sheriff, he'll see through us straight away."  
Stiles frowns, like he hadn't considered this, "We'll just have to hope that he's so overcome by emotion at his only son finding love that he doesn't suspect anything. Or he just plays along anyway, this is hardly the first potentially illegal thing I've ever done." Derek is saved from having to form a response to this, as Stiles barrels on, "I kind of already told Scott, so he'll help us. Oh, and Lydia will definitely figure it out, but she's a genius so we could probably use her help."  
Derek has no idea who Scott and Lydia are, which really brings home the fact that he knows very little out Stiles outside of his capabilities as an assistant. The feeling of shame spikes again briefly, and he squashes it down quickly. After all, he and Stiles aren't friends, they're colleagues. Personal details would've compromised their working relationship.  
"I already know basically everything about you" Stiles continues, "I've picked up enough from being your assistant, I can easily pretend to be your boyfriend. The difficult part is going to be you, because I've known you long enough to realise that you remember the bare minimum of information about any of your employees. Do you even know how old I am?"  
"Twenty seven" Derek answers, "You kept sending me emails to remind me to buy you a present in the run up to your last birthday. Also, there are plenty of things you don't know about me."  
"I know about your hazelnut allergy" Stiles replies, "That's not common knowledge."  
"You're frequently in charge of buying food and drinks for me" Derek points out, "I'd be an idiot if I didn't make you aware of any allergies."  
"I also know about your secret tattoo" Stiles grins, like he knows this is his trump card and he's been waiting gleefully for the chance to play it.  
"I don't have a secret tattoo" Derek lies, willing himself not to blush.  
"Yes you do, you've got a triskelion on your back" Stiles says, "And no, I won't tell you how I know that. I can't reveal my sources."  
Derek feels the almost childish urge to fire back with something personal about Stiles, but is annoyed to find out that he doesn't actually know anything he could use as ammunition. He's also a little preoccupied with wondering who at the company could've told Stiles about the tattoo, as he's reasonably certain it wasn't Peter. He wonders what other secrets Stiles has stored away, both about Derek and about other people they work with.  
"You should tell me about your family" Derek says, changing the subject. "If I'm meeting them, I'd rather not be going in blind."  
"Well, there's my Dad. We're gonna be staying with him, so hopefully he likes you" Stiles answers, ticking people off on his fingers, "Then there's Scott, my best friend. He already knows about all of this, we don't have any secrets. Scott's Mom, Melissa, will probably stop by. She and my Dad seem to move their relationship along at about the same pace as a snail. Oh, and Lydia is coming down too." Stiles grins, "You'll like Lydia."  
This seems oddly cryptic, but he doesn't elaborate so Derek is left to wait until he's actually met Stiles' friends. Instead, Derek is forced to bring up another problem with their cover story. "How are we going to explain why you don't have a ring?" he asks.  
"We'll just tell them it's still at the store" Stiles shrugs, "Or that you forgot."  
"Maybe we can say you lost it" Derek shoots back, and Stiles throws him a dirty look. Derek busies himself with reading through the papers Stiles had handed him, and Stiles seems to take the hint that the conversation is over.

\- 

They don't sit in silence for long before the pilot is back on the PA system to announce their landing. Getting off the plane and through baggage claim is, for once, fairly painless and uneventful, something which Derek is incredibly grateful for. With the weekend ahead shaping up to be incredibly stressful, the last thing Derek needs is for his luggage to be shipped off to Ohio whilst he's in California.  
When they get to the car rental place, Derek selects a modest black model. It's on the company's dime, so he _could_ go for something outlandish, but that's not really his style. The entire time they're handling the car rental, Stiles talks about the jeep he used to drive throughout high school, and how upset he was during his college years when it finally gave up the ghost.  
"I named it Roscoe" Stiles says, smiling wistfully, as Derek gets them out onto the highway. He's decided to use the excuse of driving on unfamiliar roads to get out of contributing much to the conversation. He would never admit to it out loud, but the nerves have started to set in. It's not too far of a drive, thankfully, from the airport to Stiles' hometown, so there isn't time for the nerves to really develop into nightmarish scenarios in Derek's head. Stiles will occasionally point out something of interest as they drive past, but for the most part he focuses on directing Derek to where he needs to go.  
They pull up outside Stiles' Dad's house just ask dusk is beginning to set in. It's a modest size house, smaller than Derek had imagined, but then again Stiles hasn't mentioned any siblings, so there isn't really a need for as much space as Derek's family once needed. There's a police cruiser in the driveway, and a young man about Stiles' age sitting on the front step. Stiles is out of the car and launching himself at the stranger as soon as Derek has brought the car to a stop. As Derek climbs out of the car and approaches them, they finally break apart, although Stiles leaves his arm around the other man's shoulder.  
"Derek Hale, this is Scott McCall" Stiles says, grinning even wider than before, "My best bro, my better half, my partner in crime."  
"I've heard a lot about you" Scott says to Derek, matching Stiles' grin. Derek gets the feeling that they're having a whole other conversation that Derek isn't part of, but he doesn't put too much thought into it.

\- 

They're barely in the door of Stiles' childhood home before the whirlwind of introductions begins. Derek receives a firm handshake from Sheriff Stilinski, a motherly hug from Scott's mother ("Please, call me Melissa" she says), a warm smile from Scott's girlfriend Kira, and then he's whisked into the living room by a redheaded woman in astonishingly high heels for such a laid back event.  
"Lydia! You made it!" Stiles says, and Derek remembers the name as one Stiles mentioned on the plane.  
"I said I'd be here, didn't I?" she answers, "It's not often all of us are here at the same time, I wasn't going to miss it."  
Lydia Martin is the exact opposite of how Derek had imagined her, based on the type of person he'd envisioned as befriending Stiles. Everything about her, from the perfectly immaculate hair and make up to the way she carries herself, gives off the impression that she is far out of Stiles' league. In spite of this, he greets her with a hug, one that she returns with equal warmth. Once she's done checking in with Stiles, Lydia turns her gaze to Derek, the newcomer in what is obviously a fairly tight-knit group.  
Stiles opens his mouth to introduce Derek, but Lydia holds up a hand before either of them can speak, "Before you say anything, Scott already told me about this stunt you're pulling. Three things: first of all, this is an incredibly stupid plan. Second of all, this is an incredibly /illegal/ plan. Did it not occur to you that you could go to jail, Stiles? Your Dad might be Sheriff of Beacon Hills, but he won't be able to bail you out of this."  
"What's the third thing?" Stiles asks her, dodging the question. Derek is surprised to see him sidestep the opportunity to throw Derek under the bus about it being his idea. He's unexpectedly grateful for this, as even though he's never met Lydia before, something about her scares him, and he'd rather stay on her good side.  
"I want no part of it" Lydia says, "When all of this blows up in your face, like it inevitably will, I want to be able to have plausible deniability."  
"Fair enough" Stiles shrugs, "But still, Lydia, this is Derek. We're getting married, but he's also my boss. Derek, this is Lydia. I was in love with her from like third grade to the end of high school, but we're all friends now."  
Derek receives a courteous nod from Lydia, and he gets the distinct impression that she's sizing him up as her eyes run across his entire person, but he doesn't have much of a chance to talk to her, as Scott and the others move from the kitchen to the living room.

\- 

Sometime later, after a lively dinner, the conversation Derek has been dreading finally happens.  
"So Derek, Stiles said there was some news the two of you had?" Melissa says, smiling at the two of them. Derek finds himself momentarily speechless, so Stiles steps up.  
"We're getting married" he says, "I know I didn't mention it before, but it's been kind of a crazy whirlwind like everything happened so fast, so-"  
"Stiles" his Dad says, halting Stiles' word vomiting, "While I can't say I'm not a little surprised, it's okay. We're happy for you." Stiles' Dad looks so genuinely pleased for his son that Derek is tempted to stand up and admit to the shame right there and then. It doesn't seem right to deceive a man who so obviously loves his son, not to mention the the rest of the people in the small gathering.  
"Scott's gonna be my best man, of course" Stiles says, and the others all laugh, "And if we're very lucky Lydia might offer her services as wedding planner." He winks at her and she gives him an exasperated eye roll and a smile in return.  
"We'll see" is all he gets out of her.  
"Have you set a date yet?" Kira asks, from her position next to Scott.  
"Not yet" Stiles says, "It's all happened so quickly, we haven't talked about it yet. I don't even have a ring yet." He wiggles his bare ring finger at them. Derek wonders how Stiles has slipped in to his role with such ease, given that he seems to have no problem concocting a cover story to feed to his family.  
"That's pretty romantic" Kira says, "The whole whirlwind love story thing. It'll make a great story to tell your kids, if you have any." Suddenly, her eyes light up, "You could get married this weekend, if you wanted to. Scott's friend Danny could perform the ceremony. Then you can skip all the stress of planning and just start your married lives together!"  
Derek can't quite tell if she's joking or not, although her sincerity seems genuine. Stiles seems just as taken aback by the suggestion. "We wouldn't want to take the attention away from the birthday boy" he says, gesturing to his dad. Derek almost lets out a sigh of relief at having dodged that bullet, when Stiles' Dad laughs.  
"Kid, I've had plenty of birthdays" he says, "Might as well mix it up a bit." His face softens, and there's an almost wistful look in his eyes, "Besides, your Mom would've loved it. Always a romantic at heart."  
Stiles noticeably deflates at this comment, and Derek wants to say something but doesn't know what. This is the first time anyone has brought up Stiles' mother, and Derek is still too polite to pry into what is obviously a sensitive topic. A moment later, Stiles seems to have recovered. He and his Dad are trying to brainstorm wedding locations on short notice. Derek doesn't have much to add to this conversation, not knowing the local area, so he sits back and listens. Before he knows it, they've decided that he and Stiles will get married on the Sunday, in the renovated loft of an apartment building one of their other acquaintances owns. Kira knows a florist who will help them as a favor, Melissa offers to provide the food, and Lydia steps in to pull everything together. There's a brief snag when Melissa asks if there's anyone Derek wants to invite, but Derek quietly explains his family circumstances and then the conversation is moved swiftly on.  
A few minutes later, Derek excuses himself to go and make a phone call. Before he can get up, Stiles turns his head and plants a kiss on Derek's cheek. Derek hopes he isn't blushing as much as he feels he is. It's been a while since anyone has been that intimate with him. His adult love life can be summarized as a string of one night stands that he doesn't remember the names of, and even then it's been quite a long time since he's fallen into bed with anyone. At some point, as he got older, he stopped believing that he was going to find someone, and settled for a fulfilled work life instead of a romantic one. He muses on this as he steps out of the front door and pulls out his phone to inform Peter of his slight change of plans regarding the weekend.

\- 

Later, after Scott has given Kira a ride home, Melissa has excused herself to pick up a shift at the hospital, and Lydia has left for her hotel, the Sheriff suggests Stiles show Derek to where they'll be sleeping. Stiles trudges up the creaky wooden stairs, and Derek follows a few paces behind. He's led past doors leading to the bathroom, a closet, and the Sheriff's bedroom before Stiles finally comes to a stop in front of what must be his old bedroom.  
He pauses with a hand on the doorknob, "Just so you know, I haven't really been home since college long enough to redecorate."  
Derek sees what he means when Stiles opens the door and flicks the light on, as the bedroom is unmistakably that of a teenage boy, although it's not nearly as messy as Derek feared.  
"You can take the bed" Stiles tells him, "Don't worry, I already know how this is going to work."  
Derek's glad Stiles has already considered this, because the thought of sleeping arrangements had honestly not crossed his mind.  
They retrieve their bags from Derek's rental car, bid the Sheriff goodnight, and then retreat to the safety of Stiles' bedroom, which is mercifully equipped with a lock on the door. ("During college we both kind of realized that it would be better if I had my privacy" Stiles explains when Derek questions its presence, "Parents walking in on you gets way more awkward once you're an adult too.") After they've taken turns in the bathroom, Derek finds himself sitting in Stiles' bed, watching Stiles lay out blankets for his makeshift bed on the floor.  
"Are you sure you want to do this? Get married in two days?" Derek asks, "It's very sudden, I thought we'd have more time to plan."  
Stiles shrugs, "Might as well get it over with, right? The sooner we're married the sooner we can get that divorce and go back to our normal lives. Besides, it's not like we had any other wedding plans. And this does play better into the whole whirlwind romance story we've got going on."  
Derek remains unconvinced, but he knows he won't get anywhere trying to argue, "Even if we get married this weekend, there's still the interviews we have to get through. Greenberg already smells a rat, so we have to be prepared."  
"Okay" Stiles says, "Ask me anything you want to know."  
"What was your college major?"  
"Literature, specifically folklore and mythology. Almost went for criminology and psychology, though."  
"Any beloved family pets?"  
"Nope. Scott had a dog, but it didn't like me all that much."  
"What's your real name?"  
"Pass" says Stiles, and Derek feels a flash of annoyance.  
"You can't 'pass' on that" Derek replies, "That's something I have to know. It'll show how deeply your trust me, or whatever, if you've told me that. How bad can it be?"  
"Fine" Stiles says, "but I'm swearing you to secrecy. You're not allowed to bring it up ever or use it against me, I'm telling you strictly to help out our arrangement."  
"Okay" Derek agrees, because he's always been curious. Even Stiles' company file lists him as his nickname, apparently he'd managed to bribe someone in that department.  
Stiles takes a deep breathe before he speaks again, "Mścisław."  
"Excuse me?" Derek says.  
"You heard me, Mścisław" Stiles snaps, "Do you see why I avoid it now?"  
"Yeah, I think I do."  
The conversation fizzles out after that, as Derek doesn't want to antagonize Stiles any further. They bid each other an awkward goodnight, and not long after, Derek can hear the sounds of Stiles breathing heavily in his sleep. It's quite a while before Derek is able to drop off to sleep, and even then it's not a particularly restful night for him, although in the morning he can't quite recall what his nightmares were about.


	3. Chapter 3

When Derek wakes up the next morning, it's to knocking at the door. For the initial few moments after he jerks awake, he's extremely confused about where he is and why he's not at his own apartment. As the cloud of sleep clears from his mind, the events of the previous evening come back to him and he realizes he's in Stiles' bedroom. The knocking at the door persists, so Derek calls out a quick "Just a minute!" and sits up. He picks up a pillow and throws it at Stiles' sleeping from on the floor, and then when his eyes open, Derek motions for him to climb into the bed. He doesn't want to have to explain why they haven't slept in the same bed to whoever is on the other side of the door. Once Stiles is situated in bed, Derek stands up and moves across the room to unlock the door. He opens it to find Melissa on the other side. A quick glance at the clock tells Derek that it's a little after ten in the morning, which is later than he would normally sleep in.   
Melissa tells him that there's food downstairs and that he can help himself to whatever he wants for breakfast. She also tells him that Stiles' Dad is looking for Stiles, and Derek relays this message to Stiles as soon as he's back in the room with the door closed. Stiles takes first turn in the bathroom, armed with a pile of clothes, so Derek waits around until he's done and moved downstairs.

\- 

By the time Derek makes it downstairs, Stiles is nowhere in sight. Instead, he finds Scott sitting at the kitchen table.  
"Stiles went out with his Dad" Scott tells him, as Derek makes his way to the coffee machine, "Said they were off on some secret mission, so I offered to show you around town today.  
"Oh, thanks" says Derek, because he was raised to be polite even if the prospect of a whole day with his fake fiancé's best friend isn't his idea of fun. Luck is in his favor, as he finds some coffee left in the pot and pours it into a battered china mug from a nearby cupboard  
"Figured I'd take the the opportunity to get to know the guy who's marrying my best friend" Scott replies, and Derek throws him a look over the top of the mug he's taking a swig out of.  
"Scott" Derek says, "you can drop the act. I know Stiles already told you about our arrangement."  
Scott's face breaks out into a grin, "I know, but I'm still going to show you around town. We gotta keep everyone else fooled, yeah? Plus, what else are you going to do around here? Stiles already told me you've got no work because they gave it to someone else until this whole Visa thing is sorted out."  
Derek can't think of a good enough excuse not to go, so he finishes his coffee and then pulls his rental car keys out of his pocket and holds them up.  
"Dude, we don't have to go right now" Scott says, "Don't you want breakfast or something?"  
Derek really doesn't feel like he can stomach eating anything right now, so he just shakes his head at Scott, who gets up from the table. They find themselves in Derek's rental car a few minutes later. Derek is in the drivers seat, although he soon realizes the problem with this scenario, and the two trade out.  
Derek is relieved to find out that their tour of the town will be mostly done whilst driving around, as this means that they're bound to be done even faster. Scott points out different things as he drives the labyrinth of streets.  
"That's where Stiles and I went to high school" he tells Derek, as they pass by the the buildings that make up Beacon Hills High School, "Haven't been back in years, but I bet it's just the same."  
The next hour or so passes in a similar fashion, with Scott pointing out various shops, the veterinary building where he worked as a teenager, the entrance to the woods where one time the police found half a dead body (although he doesn't say which half) and he and Stiles sneaked out to try a look for the remaining half, except they were caught by the Sheriff before they could get anyway near it.

After they've driven past the building where Derek will be getting married in less than 24 hours, Scott pulls into the parking lot of a nearby diner and kills the engine. "They have the best burgers here" he explains to Derek, "Figured we could grab lunch."  
There are only a few other filled tables in the diner, so Scott and Derek have their pick of which booth to sit in. In the end, they opt for one by the window and then place their orders. Derek decides he's going to trust Scott's recommendation, and orders the same as him. It's only when they're digging into their food, after several agonizing minutes of smalltalk, that Scott finally starts a proper conversation.   
"So Stiles said you guys have to know everything about each other for this to work" Scott says, "How much has he told you already?"  
Derek swallows his mouthful before he answers, "A few things. I did get his first name out of him, so that's a victory."  
"Dude, really?" Scott laughs, "I can't believe he told you that. He must be serious about this. Did he tell you about all of us?"  
"He gave me the rundown on the plane, yeah" Derek replies, "About his family and friends."  
Scott's face clouds over, unexpectedly serious, "Did he tell you about his mom?"  
"No" Derek admits, "And it didn't seem like my place to ask."  
Scott nods slowly, "She died, a long time ago, back when we were kids. He was really messed up about it for a long time." Scott pauses, as if he's trying to decide whether or not he should be telling Derek this, "Don't tell him I mentioned this, but I think he blamed himself for her getting sick. And he thought his Dad blamed him too. There were some rough years when we were in high school, but I think they got it sorted out. I know he still misses her, though."  
"I know the feeling" Derek finds himself saying, and Scott gives him a sympathetic look.  
"I'm only saying this so you can understand him better" Scott tells him, "He'll probably bring it up at some point, but this way you know in advance."  
Derek nods, but before he can say anything else, Scott's phone chimes and he pulls it out of his back pocket. "That's Kira" he says to Derek apologetically, "I need to go meet her."  
"That's fine" Derek says, "Just drop me off back at the house before you go."   
Derek pays the bill as Scott texts Kira. He figures it's the least he can do in return for Scott helping him understand Stiles a lot more than he'd done when he'd woken up that morning. 

Back at the house, Derek finds himself pulling a worn detective novel off the bookshelf and settling down on the couch to read. This is how Stiles and his Dad find him several hours later when they return, so engrossed in the book that he doesn't hear them approach him at first. Stiles lets out a laugh when Derek almost jumps a mile after the younger man taps him on the shoulder.

\- 

The evening passes by much the same as the night before, although with added excitement about the events of the next day. Derek doesn't really find a moment alone until he's getting ready for bed, listening to the sounds of Stiles in the bathroom. He's surprised that they're being allowed to sleep in the same room the night before their wedding, but apparently the others are all willing to let that particular tradition slide.  
Stiles returns from the bathroom, mutters a goodnight to Derek, and then climbs into his makeshift bed on the floor. Derek thinks about offering him a place in the bed next to him, before realizing that would be crossing the line completely. Still, he can't let the moment pass, so instead he starts to talk. He's been thinking a lot about family after interacting with Stiles', so he surprises himself by bringing up his own long gone family.  
"I'm not used to family" Derek says, only to be met with silence, "all those people out there who care about you... it's been a while since I had any of that. My parents died when I was sixteen, and then my sister Laura died a few years later, so I had to get used to being alone. The only family I've got left us Uncle Peter, and, well, you've met him. Not exactly the definition of a family man."  
It's been a long time since Derek has felt close enough to someone that he would willingly bring up these memories. He doesn't let himself dwell on the deaths of his family; can't, or else the grief and loneliness will overflow and consume him.  
He stares at the posters on the opposite wall, dimly visible in the fading light (one for a band Derek vaguely remembers being popular around the time he and Stiles were teenagers, and another for a cheesy 80s movie about what looked like teenage werewolves). The silence after his confession stretches out so long that Derek assumes Stiles is either ignoring him or asleep, but then he finally speaks.  
"Dude, that's really sad" Stiles says. Ordinarily, Derek would bristle at the pity in that kind of statement, but the way Stiles says it is devoid of the usual pity. It's more like he understands Derek, more like empathy. Belatedly, Derek remembers his earlier conversation with Scott, and realizes that even if Stiles hasn't experience the tragic losses that Derek has, he does understand the pain of losing a parent. "I can't imagine not having my Dad. After my Mom died, it was awful, but I can't even think about how much worse it would've been if my Dad and I hadn't had each other." There's a pause, like Stiles is weighing up his next words carefully. "Was it sudden? Your parents' deaths, I mean." When Derek takes a little bit too long to process and form a response to this query, Stiles speaks again, "Sorry, you probably don't want to talk about that. Forget I asked."  
"It's fine" Derek says, and means it, to his surprise, "Like I said, I'm not used to talking about it. But yeah, it was. They died in a fire, so one second everything was fine and the next everything was ash on the ground." He shifts in bed uncomfortably, not quite knowing what to do with his hands. He can't see Stiles from where he is in bed, so he takes the silence to mean that the younger man is listening. "We used to live in the woods, up in this huge old house, so when there was an electrical fault near some exposed wood, the whole place went up. It took ages for the fire crew to get there, and there wasn't much left for them to save. Laura and I, we stayed late at school, so we weren't there. But my parents were, and my little sister, and my aunt. They all died. Uncle Peter was the only one who managed to get out, but he wasn't in good enough shape to go back in for the others. I didn't know that the last time I saw them would be the last time I saw them until it was too late."  
There's another brief silence before Stiles speaks again, "We knew Mom was sick for a long time before she died, that she wasn't going to get better. It was really hard to watch her slowly lose herself to the illness. By the end she wasn't my Mom anymore, not really. The illness messed with her mind. It was awful after she died, but at least there was a tiny bit of relief because we didn't have to watch her suffer anymore."  
"I'm sorry" Derek says, because he doesn't know what else to say to that. He's ashamed to admit that he had no idea his assistant had suffered just as much pain as Derek had, but without the after effect of pushing away anyone who tried to get close like Derek has.  
"We should sleep" Stiles says, "Big day tomorrow and all."  
Derek takes the hint that the conversation is over, and mutters a goodnight. Much like the night before, he's awake long after Stiles has fallen asleep. Derek's thoughts are running through his mind far too fast for him to hope for a quick descent into dreaming. 


	4. Chapter 4

Derek can't help but be impressed by the decorations which have been put up in such a short span of time, turning the loft from empty to much more homely. He's also glad that Stiles and Scott's suggestions of an abandoned warehouse and abandoned subway train were vetoed almost immediately, as he couldn't imagine even the most passionate of decorators making them into suitable wedding locations. This scenario is far from how he'd pictured his wedding day, but if this is going to be the only time he has one, at least the pictures will look nice. 

It's just after eleven, but he hasn't seen Stiles all morning, not since they were whisked out of bed bright and early by Melissa. Stiles had disappeared off with Lydia and Scott, leaving Derek alone with Melissa and the Sheriff. It's not that he was scared of Stiles' Dad, but he was apprehensive about being left alone with him. Once Melissa had excused herself and was no longer acting as a buffer, it had just been Derek and his soon to be father in law sitting in awkward silence in the kitchen of the Stilinski family home. Neither one of them seemed to want to make the first move towards a conversation.  
Derek recalls how their stalemate finally came to an end when the Sheriff placed a small wooden box on the table and turned to face Derek.  
"I think I've solved your ring problem" he'd said, and then opened the box. Inside were two simple gold bands which looked to have been in there for a while, judging by the dust. If Derek were getting married for real, they're the kind of thing he'd pick out. No flashy jewels, just a simple symbol of commitment.  
"These belonged to my wife's family" Stiles' Dad explained, and the wistful look in his eyes had returned, "She always wanted to pass them down to our kids, so I guess it's only fitting that we bring them out now." It's crystal clear from his tone how much the Sheriff still loves his late wife. Suddenly, a lump forms in Derek's throat. This is too much for him. It'd be pretty callous of him to conduct a fake marriage with rings belonging to his fake fiancé's dead mother. Derek has been fighting the niggling feeling all weekend, the one telling him he can't possibly go through with this ridiculous charade. He's been able squash it down and ignore it for the most part, but the rings were the last straw. Derek had tried to refuse them, but the Sheriff had been insistent. 

Derek finds himself wandering around the venue, wearing the suit he was happy to have brought along just in case. Nobody will let him help with preparations, so he's stuck wandering around hoping that Stiles will turn up eventually. It's ironic, really, that Derek is having cold feet about his _fake_ wedding. When he originally came up with the plan, he hadn't thought about this. It had all seemed so simple back then; get married, wait a while, and then get a divorce. Too bad he hadn't planned to get married to someone lacking a family just like him. 

Unfortunately, Derek doesn't manage to find any sign of Stiles. Even more unfortunately, he runs into a familiar face: Greenberg.  
"A little birdie informed me of your change in plans" he tells Derek, "So I came down here to offer you one last chance; drop the act now, and I'll let your assistant off with a warning. You'll have to leave the country, but he'll be fine. I'll even give you twenty four hours to get your affairs in order before I deport you."  
"There's no act to drop" Derek says, through gritted teeth, "You're interrupting my wedding."  
"Funny, that's very much what your fiancé said" Greenberg gives him a tight lipped smile, "I'll be here in the back, in case you change your mind. Which I very much advise you to. The offer is valid up until you say your vows, so think on it." Then he turns and walks away from Derek, taking a seat in the back row of chairs that have been laid out. Derek feels faintly ill. He knows that Stiles would never take the deal, but Derek is wondering if maybe, he should. He's in way over his head here, and the more he thinks about it, the more he knows in his heart that the likelihood of him actually going through with the wedding is getting smaller every second that passes. 

To his credit, Derek manages to make it to the altar before he bails. The minister is another old friend of Stiles', some guy named Danny who was in their class in high school. Derek can hear him talking, but the words aren't really registering in his brain. He's too preoccupied with looking out at the sea of faces, all so happy for Stiles, and for him. The way he's been accepted into Stiles' circle warms his heart, but he's also unable to fight back the feeling of shame. That's what finally makes the decision for him. He just hopes that they'll forgive him, once they know the truth.  
"Wait" Derek says, and Danny pauses with whatever he's been reading out, "there's something I need to say."  
He hears Stiles' very quiet "Derek?" but he's not sure anyone else besides Danny is close enough to hear.  
"I can't lie to you all" Derek says, turning back to face the crowd. He sees Greenberg in the back, looking self satisfied, but everyone else just looks confused. Even Lydia and Scott, who were in on the plan, have surprise written across their faces. "This marriage - it's a sham. That's the truth." The entire room is so silent you could hear a pin drop. "I'm being deported because of a problem with my Visa, and so I persuaded Stiles to help me by promising to further his career, which he honestly deserved anyway because he's far more competent than any other employee who works under me." Derek isn't sure where this sudden urge to complement Stiles has come from, but it needs to be said. Derek suddenly needs Stiles to know how much he is valued by Derek. "Which was completely selfish of me. I should never have taken advantage of the hospitality of all of you like this. That's why I have to leave, before this goes any further. I'm sorry."  
He takes one last look at Stiles, who looks completely shocked, before he takes off back down the aisle and out of the doors. He's down one flight of stairs before he hears any kind of reaction from the room he's just fled, and so at the very least he's got a minor head start.  
Derek makes it outside and around the back of the building before he realizes that he's got nowhere to go. He was driven to the venue that morning, so his rental car is back at the house, and he can't even just get there on foot because he doesn't know the way. Just as Derek is contemplating whether or not he'll have to face complete and utter humiliation by going back inside, Greenberg appears next to him, and Derek knows what he has to do.

\- 

Derek has no real memory of his trip from the airport back to his apartment. All he knows is that, after a few hours tossing and turning as the events of the weekend run on repeat through his mind, he's up and traveling to his office to pack it up. He might as well get it over with, so his things can be shipped back to his apartment in Canada. What he's going to do once he's back in Canada he doesn't know yet, but he figures the best approach is to take everything one thing at a time. He also figures that he should avoid thinking about Stiles, and the expression on his face the last time Derek had seen him, wherever possible. However, this would probably be a much harder task once at the office, Derek muses on the drive there.  
At a little after 6am, Derek knows that only the most dedicated of employees will be in the office. This is an extremely appealing environment for him to pack up his office and lick his wounds in, as the chance of any other people trying to make contact with him is slim. Of course, there's no way he'll be able to escape interacting with Peter, but no one ever said life was fair.  
About ten minutes after Derek arrives, the devil himself shows up at the door. He's smirking at Derek, a far cry from the caring uncle Derek wishes he'd been born with. Not for the first time, Derek finds himself wondering how on Earth it was fair that, of all the people trapped in his family home when it burned, _Peter_ was the one who made it out. He wondered, darkly, how the powers that be could justify letting his little sister die but sparing Peter.  
"Darling nephew" Peter drawls, shaking Derek out of his thoughts, "Back so soon? Was there trouble in Paradise?"  
"Don't" Derek snaps, not bothering with the usual forced politeness that he reserves for dealing with his relative, "You know exactly what happened. Your spy probably reported it back to you as soon as we were on the plane back here." Seeing Peter open his mouth again, Derek cuts him off, "I know you sent Greenberg to California, don't even try to pretend it wasn't you. Not that it matters now. If you'll excuse me, I have to pack before I leave."  
Peter just smirks at him again, before disappearing back the way he had come. Derek is glad to see him go, and even gladder that no one else tries to interrupt his packing.

\- 

The next time Derek is aware of his surroundings, it's because there's some commotion going on outside his office. It's around ten, according to the clock on the wall, so the rest of the office is now hard at work. Curiosity gets the better of Derek, as he gets to his feet and crosses his office to see what the cause of the noise is. He comes to a stop in the office doorway, frozen in shock at the sight of Stiles standing a few meters away from him. Derek hadn't expected to see him again, not after his actions the day before. He'd been banking on him leaving the country before Stiles got back from California. It was cowardly, but Derek thought it would be best for everyone involved if he disappeared.  
Stiles doesn't look like he's slept at all, if the dark circles under his eyes are any indication. Derek is under no delusions that his own face doesn't look just as bad. Stiles has changed out of his suit, obviously, and is standing in front of Derek in a hoodie and jeans, looking furious.  
"Stiles" Derek says, "You should leave. I'll keep my word about your promotion, don't worry, but right now, I need you to leave." He's hoping to diffuse the situation before Stiles explodes at him. Even if Derek deserves it, he's really not in the mood to listen to how much of an asshole he's been.  
"No" says Stiles, with more authority than Derek has ever heard him use, "No, shut up and listen to me. We've done this entire thing on your terms, so now it's time for me to say what I came hear to say and for you to listen." He pauses, and none of the other people in the office are even pretending that they're not eavesdropping. Derek stays where he is in the doorway to his office, because he has no idea what else to do. "This time last week, I couldn't stand you. Ask anyone, you were just my asshole boss who didn't know how to talk to other human beings. But then you came up with this insane plan to marry me so you could stay in the country, and I agreed to it because I thought it might be fun and then because you promised to help me get where I wanted to go on the career ladder." He takes a step towards Derek, "Except then I took you home to meet my Dad, and you went and ruined everything by turning out to be an actually _decent_ human being after all. You made nice with all my friends, even my Dad liked you. And then we were bonding, about our dead relatives and shit. I thought you and I were getting somewhere, except then you went and fucking _left me at the altar_. In front of all my family! And now I have to explain to them that none of it was real!"  
Derek hesitates before he speaks, unsure if it's going to help or hinder the situation, "Stiles, why are you here?"  
Stiles takes another step forward, "I'm here because _we_ started something, and you don't get to back out on it that easily. You don't get to show me that you're actually a human being with feelings and all and then just leave. You don't have to be such a martyr Derek, you're allowed to be happy. You don't have to leave the country just because you're embarrassed."  
"Stiles" Derek says slowly, "Your family- I couldn't. I couldn't deceive them like that. They deserved more than that. _You_ deserve more than that. You deserve something real."  
"So give me something real!" Stiles says, taking the final few steps to stand right in front of Derek, "Marry me, Derek, so you can stay here and we can have something real. Don't just run away from all of this."  
"Are you sure?" Derek asks. He wants to say yes to Stiles, more than he's wanted anything in a very long time, but he has to be sure that the younger man wants this as well.  
"You're allowed to be happy, Derek" Stiles says, in a much quieter voice.  
This is all the confirmation that Derek needs. He seizes two fistfuls of Stiles' hoodie and brings their lips together. All at once, he forgets about the people watching them. He loses himself completely in this one perfect kiss. Later on, they'll have to deal with the fall out from all of this, but that's a problem for future Derek. Present Derek is perfectly happy where he is. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe I actually wrote a fic longer than 2k? I did write some scenes from Stiles' POV, but I felt the fic flowed better just with Derek. Unfortunately, that meant the loss of most of Lydia's stuff. 
> 
> If you liked this, maybe consider voting for Team Summer is Hot, But Sterek is Hotter in [this](http://www.poll-maker.com/poll774626x7A844CF2-31) poll? Thanks!


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